Wendy Darling
by CanYouNotThough
Summary: Oh darling, won't you take me to Neverland?
1. Gravity

_Chapter 1: Gravity_

 **W** endy knew she could not fly. She had been to school. She had learned the appropriate lessons, participated in discussions, received full marks.

She walked to school every day with her brothers, John and Michael. With feet firmly planted on the ground, she never even attempted to defeat gravity. For gravity was an immense foe, and Wendy was never fond of those.

She would _walk_ forever, she supposed. When she was younger her imagination held no limits. She could soar; she could feel the wind as she reached higher and higher, not once stopping to look down. That is, until gravity gave a little tug. And when gravity tugged, no matter how faint, one was sure to fall.

Mrs. Darling had a faint tug. The kind of gentle, quiet spirit that the Bible always talks about. She dressed in white and spoke in hushed tones. Her stern talking to's were never things to fear, and usually ended in hugs and chocolate. She, herself, used to love to fly, but her mother's gravity was far too great, and she fell, just like they always do.

Michael could still reach the skies, for gravity overlooks the young. He would tell his sister about the taste of the clouds as they walked to school. Her hand in his, the tether that kept him but for a moment.

John Darling loved gravity. If Wendy was a tether then John was a boulder. Always in his signature glasses and top hat, he marched proudly with his siblings, making sure to alert his dear brother to the fact that clouds are just water, and would therefore taste as such.

They walked.

Wendy could remember being Michael's age: when walking didn't feel quite so heavy. Now nearly 17, the time had come for her to emerge into society. She was to be a proper lady, Mrs. Darling said, and suitors must be considered. Suitors whose feet would stand firm on the ground. Suitors whose hands would find her hands and be her tether.

Wendy would never fly again.


	2. Peter

_Chapter 2: Peter_

 **P** eter was a rule breaker. He drove his parents mad, always destroying the excellent matches they arranged for him.

"Why can't you just act decently?" They sighed.

"Just one! We just need one to like you!" They cried.

The only rule Peter followed was walking to school. Peter knew he could fly, but if he flew, then he could not see her.

He liked the way she walked, though he would never tell anyone. Her walk was less repetitious than the others. While it was clear that she knew she must walk, she appeared to believe that at any moment things could change. If she suddenly floated away in the wind, she wouldn't be the least bit surprised. Her hair was like the golden sun, and he was surely infatuated, though what could he tell his parents, who knew nothing of the skies?

"Hey, snap out of it Peter."

"I was doing it again?" Peter asked.

"You know, you can't swoon forever. And I doubt she would fancy your antics. None of the others seem to."

Peter's best friend was a boy named Will Warren. They had been friends for their entire lives, though the two differed in more ways than was countable. Will came from one of the wealthiest families in England, and could presumably attain any girl he desired. He was at all times on his best behavior, and brought his family much pride.

Peter was Will's dark side. If he weren't so charming, the Warren's would never have allowed the friendship to continue. But however devious Peter was, he loved Will dearly, and always played by the rules for his sake.

"I'm just saying you should try to be a little more…you know." Will continued as they crossed the street.

"Normal?" Peter supplied. He knew why things weren't working with the other girls. He wasn't a fool.

"That's one way of putting it, yeah."

They stopped in front of the school; they still had a few minutes before it was necessary to go inside.

"Look, you know I love the fun we have. But women are different, Peter. You have to act gentlemanly. Kind. You know, manners. Playing pirates and getting dirty isn't going to win you one. Are you even listening?"

But Peter's eyes were focused on Wendy, because for the first time Wendy's eyes were on him.


	3. The Girl with the Skies in her Eyes

_Chapter 3: The Girl with the Skies in her Eyes_

 **P** eter Pan conclusively baffled Wendy. For approximately 2 years and 3 months she had noted his eyes, which distinctly followed _her_. At first, she was certain she was mistaken. Peter Pan was undoubtedly the most sought after boy at St. Gabriel's School for Boys and Girls. Well, him and Will Warren, who came from the best family. Since their first year, the little girls giggled over the two. When they all came of age, Will and Peter became the greatest prizes. Lately, however, Wendy had not been hearing very pleasant things about him.

"Lunatic" Katherine said.

"The most ill-mannered child I have ever met" Rose agreed.

Indeed, girl after girl seemed to have dreadful experiences with Peter Pan. His parent's quest to find him a proper match was clearly not going well. Wendy wondered what could cause the girls to find him so distasteful, but when she asked, they refused to comment.

As time passed, Wendy became all the more aware of Peter's attention. She worried what the other girls would think. If they noticed, they may accuse her of being flirtatious. With his reputation quickly turning from the height of prestige to cretinous scoundrel, Wendy hoped his watching would go away.

And yet, she found herself counting the number of times she'd caught him looking. There was something about Peter that made Wendy curious. Like a moth to a flame, she simply couldn't resist. What was going on between Peter and the other girls? Why was he always looking at her? Wendy was a shy girl, and she followed the rules laid out by her loving parents. If Peter was truly a scoundrel, then she couldn't possibly be interested.

Wendy made the mistake of peeking.

And there they were: those immense green eyes that followed her for the past 2 years. Surprised. That was the look those eyes were giving her. But Wendy stopped in her tracks, unable to move on with her brothers, caught in the gaze of the boy who fascinated her. Peter was standing with Will, with Will's back to Wendy. It was for this reason that Will Warren was unaware of the debacle his friend was in. Peter Pan was completely panicked. With Peter's luck with girls, he could lose Wendy if he approached. But Wendy was suddenly looking at him, and he never wanted her to stop.

"Peter, hey, I'm talking to you!" Will whined.

"I gotta…yeah," Peter mumbled as he brushed past his friend.

"Uhm?" Will whipped around to see where Peter was going, and spotted Wendy.

"Oh."

Wendy wondered what he would say, if anything at all. If he was really as horrible as the others said, then maybe he would utter some obscenity to upset her.

Peter approached the girl with the sun kissed hair, who held the blue skies in her eyes. He wondered what the wind might look like blowing across her body. Peter was sure Wendy Darling could fly.

The school bell rang.


	4. Never Grow Up

_Chapter 4: Never Grow Up_

 **P** eter ran from the school. When the bell rang, Wendy broke away and left for class. She never even said a word. Or rather, he had never said a word, and he was kicking himself for it.

Peter liked to run, but in this particular instance it wasn't doing him much good. When he was younger, he believed he could run from anything, pirates, monsters, even his parents. He felt so strong when he ran, he wondered if he could lift off the ground and fly. One day, he finally did. But flying was precisely Peter Pan's problem, and he wasn't about to make it worse.

He ripped off his tie and threw it on the ground as he ran past people in the street. If his parents found out he skipped school, they would lose their minds. Due to Peter's troublesome lack of attention, he had never done well in school. This, added to his new disregard for the coming of his future, distressed his poor parents. Peter loved them, he really did. The Pan's were kind people, but they respected the ways of society and expected their son to as well. Peter Pan was no ordinary boy, and his parent's worst fear was London's discovery of this.

Peter turned a corner into an empty alleyway and stopped to catch his breath. While running didn't seem to be putting Peter's fear any further away, it did put school rather far. School was where she was. Wendy. Peter's first indication of his coming into manhood was his absurd obsession with this girl. Until then, he played games with Will, he flew far, far away, and he could conquer anything. Then, one day, there she was. She was always there, he supposed, but he never saw her; he had bigger things on his mind than some schoolgirl. Then, suddenly, she was all he could see. The day he noticed the specks of sunlight in the strands of her hair was the day everything changed. Fear crept into Peter Pan's mind. Doubt. Anticipation of the future. Neverland threatened to slip away.

He walked the rest of the way to his spot, slipped inside Big Ben and traveled all the way to the top. He loved this iconic clock; it was tall enough to see all of London. He squeezed out onto the ledge and sat down. This was Peter's favorite perspective, and it was where he did his best thinking. He often worried if this would be the highest he could get in the future. If he became a man, would this be all there is?

Wendy Darling was both the problem and the solution in Peter's mind. Originally, she scared Peter to death. She ruined everything, he thought. The days of his youth were over, and Wendy would suck all the happiness from his life. But one day Peter had an epiphany of sorts; what if Wendy Darling could fly too? What if he could actually teach her?

"Never grow up." Peter muttered as he looked out over the city. That was his mantra, ever since he realized what was slipping away as he grew into an adult. Nothing is worth losing Neverland. Nothing is worth losing his youth.

"Wendy." Peter sighed and leaned back. It was a risky thought, involving Wendy in his secret, but he always knew that. He tried to test the waters with some of the girls who fancied him at school. Simply suggesting the idea of remaining children forever granted him the reputation of a madman. Each girl found him amusing, and then bothersome. Women were a complete mystery. They desired elegant clothes and formal conversation. As far as Peter Pan could tell, girls had no sense of adventure, nor any dreams of flight. As much as he desperately craved to speak to Wendy, he dreaded trying to share that part of himself that no one knew. One thing was definitive. Before he shared " _who is Peter Pan?"_ he had to figure out, _"who is Wendy Darling?"_


	5. Take a Chance on Peter Pan

_Chapter 5: Take a Chance on Peter Pan_

 **W** endy Darling walked briskly through the chilly autumn air, keeping a pace that left her brothers breathless.

"Slow down Wendy!"

"We can't keep up!"

But Wendy had no time to waste; she was determined to get to school before the boy with the diminishing reputation could destroy hers. She was absolutely horrified upon realizing that just about everyone at her school either heard about or saw what happened. Even though nothing had actually happened, gossip was bad news for anyone. But she, Wendy Darling, daughter of George and Mary Darling, needed to find a good match to grow her family's reputation. That much her father had made clear. There was to be no games. This was all very serious business, and should be treated as such.

Peter Pan was not an option.

Peter Pan was in front of the school doors.

Horrified, Wendy spun around on her heel and headed back towards her brothers. _Just head home_ , she thought to herself, _maybe he didn't see you_. She was halfway back across the street when Peter caught her arm.

"Wendy, wait, please."

"Do not touch me. I'm a lady." Wendy said cooly. Nevertheless, she turned around to face him.

His eyes were different from the day before. They weren't so fearful. Instead, a new kind of determination made him hold her gaze quite fiercely.

"I'm sorry," he started, "And I would like to apologize for my behavior yesterday. I know ladies such as yourself prefer to be spoken to and not stared at."

Wendy nodded. As much as her heart leapt through her chest at his words, she was resolved to give him no indication of it. She stepped to the side and began walking to the school.

"Uh, W-Wendy?" Peter stuttered. He reached out his arm to grab hers again, but upon remembering her words, he pulled it back. Quickly, he sputtered, "I-I was wondering if I could court you?"

His words moved through the air, slicing the wind and catching Wendy's ear. She thought she might die of shock. Not brave enough to turn around, but also unable to walk away given the circumstances, Wendy stood in between the safety of school and the dangerous Peter Pan. Every part of her mind screamed _No!_

Her father's voice rang through her head " _There shall be no games, Wendy. We're counting on you to be a mature young lady."_ The response seemed clear…and yet? Wendy felt something move inside of her, something childish, to be sure, but something of great value as well. Excitement. Adventure. The unknown possibilities. One tiny, quiet voice made its way through all the shouting in her mind. _Take a chance on Peter Pan._

Wendy turned around slowly. Then she saw Peter and the look on his face made her almost laugh; he looked more distressed than she was. The poor boy had the reddest cheeks Wendy had ever seen, and eyes that already looked close to tears. He was anticipating the worst. Wendy took a deep breath.

"It is proper that you ask my father for permission." She told him, keeping her tone professional, though her mouth twitched up into a small smile.

Peter's eyes lit up as he realized what she was saying.

"Yes! Of course, yes, absolutely!" He nearly shouted. "Shall I come round after school today?"

Wendy suppressed a giggle. He was being utterly ridiculous.

"My father won't be home until 5:30. Come then."


End file.
